IDF Officer Reveals Ali Taher Ridge Demolition Operation

Days after the destruction of Hezbollah's terror tunnels at the Ali Taher Ridge, we sat down with the officer who led the forces from day one of the operation. Captain B., commander of Yahalom's Saifen Company, was also the one who pressed the button that detonated Hezbollah's fortress.

Asked about the most defining moment of the operation, he doesn't hesitate.

"It's a combination of surgical precision and exceptional operational complexity," he says. "Every action required meticulous planning: to execute a concentrated, lethal move, when the greatest challenge is continuous protection of the fighters in the field."

"There was no room for error, and the objective was unambiguous – to complete the mission in full, with uncompromising professionalism, and without leaving any loose ends," Captain B. recalls.

The tunnels at Ali Taher Ridge – Photo: IDF Spokesperson (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

How did it all begin?

"To understand the picture, you need to look at the ridge. This terrain gave the enemy a strategic advantage for producing and storing unique weaponry, but precisely that concentration allowed us to pinpoint their systems accurately."

"We operated in close coordination with Golani and Maglan. The first stage was capturing the ridge and stabilizing the defensive line on it; once the area was under control, we went deep – we surveyed the route, collected the findings, and finally destroyed all the infrastructure. The moment of detonation and the complete destruction of the compound was the climax of the entire operation."

How did you deal with the drone threat in the field?

"That was one of the central threats, and the response required a multi-layered effort – from the company level up to the division headquarters and command. We built a tight protective and defensive envelope that allowed the fighters to operate with full concentration. It was complex and tense, but we succeeded in neutralizing the risk and carrying out the work with maximum security."

Commander of Yahalom's Saifen Company, Captain B. – Photo: IDF Spokesperson (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Finally, one sentence about Saifen Company, which you command?

"Saifen," says Captain B., "is a company that redefines engineering professionalism under fire – fighters who received the most complex missions, operated shoulder to shoulder with Egoz and Maglan, and didn't stop until the mission was completed in full. Great pride to command them."

Captain B. concludes: "To look from the ridge toward Metula and understand the magnitude of the threat they prepared for us, and now it's all destroyed – that says more than anything why we're here."